Saturday, January 1, 2011

Sweater Finally Finished!!!!


Well, it took awhile, but this knitting schmuck has FINALLY completed the dreaded Swedish sweater that I have been working on FOREVER. So, last year on the first day of the year, I posted my first blog post. I swore that my next blog post would be of pictures of a finished sweater. I really didn't think it would take a year to fulfill that promise. Here it is, though, January 1, 2011. The good news is that the sweater was finished and under the tree by Christmas of 2010.
The most frustrating part of this sweater was the actual finishing and sewing on the sleeves. I put the first sleeve on and was so proud of myself because it looked great. Then I sewed on the second sleeve and it looked great. Then, I tried sewing up the side seams. Suddenly, nothing looked great anymore. I forgot to consider how the sleeves should line up with the pattern on the torso of the sweater. There was no way the pattern on the front and back of the sweater were going to line up and still have the sleeves line up properly. So, off came both sleeves and I tried again with much more care.
Second try and still not quite right. After, four attempts, I get both sleeves on so that everything lines up correctly and it finally looks great. I swear that the next sweater I knit is going to be seamless and when I finish knitting it will be done. NO SEAMS!!!!
So now for the TA-DA moment. Here it is. One sweater, knit from a pattern in a language that I don't speak or read that has been picked up and put away more times than I care to count over fourteen years, is now proudly worn by my husband of fifteen years who didn't think he would ever get this sweater. And you know something? It actually fits and he says that it is the most comfortable sweater he has ever worn. I may knit him another sweater, but I guarantee it won't take fourteen years for the next one.  
Sweater Front
I have to say that I am proud of how nice the sweater looks.  I have learned a lot about knitting since I started this sweater so many years ago.  This was my first attempt at stranded knitting.  I have also learned enough about my hobby that I could totally make this sweater in the round, if I were to start it today.  I hate sewing seams and I think one of the great things about knitting is that there are so many techniques available that a knitter could knit a sweater completely in the round and never have to sew up any seams.

Sweater Back


Happy New Year everyone.  I hope to be a more prolific blogger during the next year.  I have completed projects to show off, projects planned exploring techniques that are new to me and naked yarn "dyeing" for color. 

Hopefully, I have something to say that someone out there will want to read.  I also hope to figure out how to comment on the comments to my blog. 

My first blog post actually received comments and, while I tried to answer, I did not have to brains or blogging savvy to reply to any of them. 

Come back soon and see what I'm up to next!!

3 comments:

  1. I saw your post on Knitlist and came to check out the sweater - wow, really nice!

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. The sweater is beautiful. I am very impressed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The sweater is a wonderful accomplishment and it looks great - and no wonder it took 14 years - 3 boys, 1 husband, not reading Swedish, and life's normal stuff - good for you.

    I like your writing style on your blog too :)

    ReplyDelete